


how to be the best at everything in a few easy steps

by Mastouffe



Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018)
Genre: Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 01:54:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18714139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mastouffe/pseuds/Mastouffe
Summary: OrLeo makes a list of all the things he needs to get good at. Because when you're surrounded by a family that consists of a super strong brother, a tech genius, and a talented artist - someone's bound to feel left out, right?





	how to be the best at everything in a few easy steps

Leo was convinced Lou Jitsu was a master at _everything_. Every single movie Lou appeared in proved Leonardo right: He was the strong action man that could fight twenty bad guys and not even break a sweat. He was the smart one that used his intellect to bypass whatever cheap security system the villain had installed in his evil lair. And he practically had a special talent in every movie he starred in: from being a renowned chef that threw clams to the next level Picasso. 

Donnie had explained to him once that it was just a role Lou Jitsu played. "He's not really an ex-hacker that became a firefighter in real life. That's just the _role_ he was given.” But that certainly didn’t stop Donnie from pointing out how Lou was as smart as him (“Even if his tech is outdated,” he had pointed out) or how Raph would always boast how super strong he was or how Mikey always put his favorite movie ‘Gogh Big or Gogh Home’ - in which Lou Jitsu played the role of a security guard who had a finesse for the fine arts – on repeat. 

They all had their favorite Lou Jitsu movie and personally, Leo loved Punch Chowder but he never saw himself in any of those movies. 

He knew he wasn’t as strong as Raph, who could easily pick him and his other two brothers up with ease. He wasn't as intelligent as Donnie who could disassemble and assemble things with ease and had set up their own personal wi-fi by the age of seven. Donnie was even _funnier_ than him, as much as Leo wouldn’t like to admit. And he certainly wasn’t as talented as Mikey, who had started painting as soon as he was able to hold a crayon and could cook one of the best pizzas in New York. It was a shame no one else could eat his food, well except for April. 

They all had _their_ roles and Leo realized that, at age twelve, he wasn’t exactly sure where he’d fit in.

 

* * *

 

Leo had decided, one Saturday night after a Jupiter Jim marathon that he was going to find something he could be good at. _Maybe video games?_ Leo thought as he grabbed a notebook from underneath his bed. He could be known as the brother who was a pro at video games right? They could all go to him when they couldn’t pass a level. Or maybe knitting? Whatever it was, he was going to find it and make sure he’d be the best at it. 

So he made a list: 

**BE THE BEST AT**

  1. **Pants Pants Revolution**  



Splinter had installed the arcade years ago when Mikey was able to play by himself with no constant supervision. Leo wasn’t sure where his dad got the money to get them an arcade but he didn’t complain back then and he wasn’t about to now. Not when he had a set goal in mind.  
  
At the back end of the room, past all the 8bit games and pinball machines, stood the rhythm game: Pants Pants Revolution. Many nights were spent here trying to one-up each other's scores. Mikey and Raph always got the highest scores while Donnie and Leo got the lowest. Though Leo was pretty sure his twin brother didn’t really care about the scores and more about the dance moves.

Raph held first place with a score of 795,000 points with his nickname flashing brightly: Red Rage. If he could surpass his brother’s score then he could become the best Pants Pants Revolution player in the sewer! 

“I could probably make it to those tournaments too.” Leo mused to himself. Of course, he’d have to find a way to look normal and find a tourney near him… 

 _No, no – first pass your brother’s scores. Then plan all that later!_  

Leo stepped onto the platform and watched as the arrows beneath his feet lit up. He swiped through the playlist, regarding which song to play. It was always a difficult choice for him – he tended to go for the beat-heavy songs since they were so flashy, which in hindsight, was probably the reason he lost most of the time. It's not his fault they were so catchy! 

He finally settled for a relatively easy song and put the difficulty on hard. Even if he was a klutz, Leo had a pretty good grasp on the game. He just wasn’t on Raph’s or Mikey’s level yet. 

Well, that was about to change. 

The first song was easy. He missed a few times but managed to complete the song with an A+. Second song? Just as easy. Leo was ranking up points as he played song after song. One of his favorite songs even came up and Leo managed to pass that level with only a few misses. 

After what seemed like hours (even though it thirty minutes passed, Leo had checked) the red-eared slider took a break to marvel at his progress. The scoreboard read: 

NEON LEON – 55,000 POINTS 

"Oh c'mon you've gotta be kidding me!” 

Was that all he had managed to rank up so far? Leo was positive he had gotten more than that! Then again he had seen Mikey play on a higher difficulty than the one he was currently on. Come to think of it, Raph played on a tougher mode too. Figures he had to play on the most difficult mode to get the highest points. 

“Fine then!” Leo pointed at the machine, eyes narrowed at the screen. “If I’m gonna be the very best then I’ll just play your way!”

Pressing start, Leo began his game again. 

Several hours later, when Raph had called him to come out and eat, Splinter appeared in the doorway and found Leonardo angrily stomping on the game, the arrows on the screen flying much too fast for Leo to keep up with. 

Splinter had to pry his son off, much to Leo’s chagrin. “You will not be able to beat the game on an empty stomach, Blue.” 

“I don’t care anymore! This game sucks!” The highest difficulty was the _worst_ and he kept tripping on his own two feet. He didn’t want to know how Raph or Mikey got the highest scores – this game was off his list. 

“I’m never gonna play this game, never ever!” Leo declared as he stomped away, leaving an amused Splinter behind. 

That lasted three days.

 

* * *

 

**BE THE BEST AT**

  1. **~~Pants Pants Revolution~~** **nevermind!!!**
  2. **Musical Instruments**



No one in his family had any musical talent, he was sure of that. 

Leo grinned to himself. Since no one had displayed any skills in that department, then he would have to take matters into his own hands! He could find an instrument and practice, practice, practice until he became a pro and then - then he could become famous and be known as the brother who became a rock star! 

“But what should I play…” 

Leo skimmed through various websites as he searched for an instrument. The violin looked _okay_ but from the music he’s heard, it wasn’t exactly his style. Ditto on the cello, the flute, the tuba too – that instrument looked goofy. 

Finally, his eyes landed on an electric guitar. 

The guitar was a sleek and shiny blue, accentuated by its red flames. It gave Leo the impression of a flashy rock star – if Lou Jitsu was to play the role of a famous singer in one of his movies, then this was definitely the guitar he’d pick. 

So, _of course_ , Leo had to get it. An idea lit up in his mind and he grinned. 

Two days later, Splinter brought home a large package from the post office. Leo was pretty sure his dad snuck in at night when the post office was closed or maybe he wore a large trench coat or something but even so, Leo was absolutely excited. 

With a harrumph, Splinter set the large box down and turned to look at Leo, who was ready to dive in and open the box when Splinter cleared his throat again. 

Oh. Right. 

Smiling cheekily, Leo proceeded to bring out a box of pastries, all of the various assortments that ranged from chocolate to strawberry and handed it to Splinter. “Here you go dad, just like I promised. A week’s worth of cakes and cookies!” 

“Ohoho yes come to papa!” Splinter laughed as he got his hands on the desserts and made his way into the living room, leaving Leo alone with the box.

His plan worked. They _always_ did. 

Without a second thought, Leonardo began clawing at the tape, getting the sticky adhesive off until he was successful and he opened the box. 

Lying inside it, surrounded by paperboard cushioning, laid the electric guitar he had ordered two days ago (he was so glad Splinter agreed on the fast shipping). 

Leo grabbed his guitar and gave the strings a few plucks, a low twang echoing through the empty room. Perfect. Now all he needed was to practice. Smirking, Leo began to strum his guitar. “Ooooh, I am so going to blow their shells off!" 

A week later and he did not, in fact, blow their shells off. 

He had managed to keep his practice in secret, hoping that he’d manage to awe his brothers. Even Splinter kept quiet (it took Leo to bribe him with cake, as always). He was ready to impress his family and April too; whom he had decided to invite so she could see him rise to the top. 

They all sat in the living room, save for Splinter, who had gone grocery shopping. The four watched him with curiosity and when Leo took out his guitar, their eyes were as wide as saucers. 

“Whoa Leo, where’d you get that?!” Raph was the first to ask as Mikey got closer to get a better look at it. Leo let him touch it of course because it’d be the first and last time Mikey would ever do that once he became famous. 

“From dad, duh.” Leo jumped onto the table and ignored Raph’s startled yelp as the table shook. He pointed at Donnie dramatically. “Hook me up Donnie baby!” 

With a roll of his eyes, Donnie plugged in the guitar’s cord into a large stereo box. April gave Leo a thumbs up and they all settled in the couch and waited. 

Perfect. A week's worth of watching tutorial videos all lead up to this moment. Leonardo grinned as his family watched with anticipation. "Now sit back and be amazed cuz Leon’s gonna rock the sewers!” 

He hit the first few notes and the stereo box blew up.

 

* * *

 

**BE THE BEST AT:**

  1. **~~Pants Pants Revolution~~** **nevermind!!! ~~~~**
  2. **~~Musical Instruments~~** **I have to buy Donnie a new stereo**



Leo grimaced at his list. 

How was he supposed to know that Donnie’s stereo was going to blow up? It’s not _his_ fault that his brother’s dumb box couldn’t handle the heat. 

At least his brother's had tried to comfort him by telling him that they'd all play in a band one day when they were older. And when Donnie had gotten better equipment. 

Leo appreciated the sentiment but deep down, he knew that yet again, he failed to be good at _something_. He probably wouldn’t even need to buy Donnie a new stereo; with his brother being a tech genius he’d have that thing fixed in a day. 

“Lunch is ready!” April’s voice rang out, clearing Leo’s thoughts from his mind. Oh right. After the fiasco, Mikey had decided to liven up the mood by making homemade pizza. Yet another thing the youngest turtle was good at – aside from cooking – he always managed to liven up the place after a particularly bad time. 

“Coming!” Leo yelled back as he wrote down a few more things on his list. No, he wasn’t giving up, not yet! There were still plenty of things he could be good at. He just needed to find what that was. And when he’d finally find it, then maybe he’ll finally find a role he could fit into, alongside his brothers. 

 

* * *

 

  1. **~~Drawing~~** **no that’s mike’s skill**
  2. **~~Surfboarding~~** **next time don’t flood the sewers**
  3. **~~Bento – venti - Ventriloquist~~** **Oh yeah Raph hates puppets**



In the past few months that Leo has tried, unsuccessfully, to find a skill, he had managed to scare the living daylights out of his older brother (and Donnie had pointed out that the puppet Leo found was ‘cursed’) and also flood their home, which made everyone in the house upset at him. He _would_ have loved to go out to the beach but Splinter had told him no because he was still grounded from having snuck outside to drive a car. 

 _Newsflash dad, I would have been such a good racecar driver!_  

At least that’s what Leo thought as he flopped face down onto his bed, a groan escaping from his lips. Leo had taken a few breaks in between his plan – sometimes he grew tired of the list and decided to play with his brothers, usually coming up with plans like creating a game of capture the bandana. Then he’d jump right back into his list again, continuing where he had left off. 

Turning his head, Leo found his notebook next to him, his messy writing crossed out with a pen. He could make out the last number on the paper.

  1. **Skateboarding**  



That was the last point on Leo’s list. He tried every skill he could think of, or well, at least the ones he knew he could do without having to go outside. Skateboarding was his final resort because he and his brothers _loved_ skateboarding. If he could become even better at it then he’d finally have a skill and stand among his brothers!

With an agreeable hum, Leo hopped off his bed, determined as he grabbed his skateboard and ran to the skate ramp. 

Skateboarding was a common sight in the household. There could be one brother, or two or even all four hanging around on the skate ramp, cheering each other on as they tried flips. Currently, all four were trying to master the Ollie Impossible, a step up from the kickflip.

Which is why precisely Leo chose to execute the trick. If he could pull it off then that meant he was on track on becoming a skilled skateboarder. He could even be as good as Sydney Allen!

Leo was absolutely sure he could achieve it, no problem.

He found Mikey skating down the ramp with ease, his board decorated with stickers and drawings. Excellent, his little brother was here to witness what would certainly go down in Turtle history. 

"Hey, Mike!" Leo called out after him, watching his younger brother do a kickflip. Mikey waved at him and before he stuck the landing, spun the skateboard around his back foot and landed on it gracefully. 

Leo’s eyes widened. “W – how did – was that – “

“Yup!” Mikey grinned as he set his board down. “I did the Ollie Impossible!” 

Leo felt all his confidence zapped away from his body.

“I can’t wait to tell Raph and Don! I’m the first brother to ever complete it…” Mikey continued to talk excitedly but Leo hardly caught what he was saying.

His _younger_ brother had beat him to it – to mastering the stupid trick and Mikey was totally on track to becoming a pro skateboarder along with being a talented artist and a cook –

“Leo? Are you okay?” Mikey waved his hand in front of Leo’s eyes, a confused look on his face. “Did you even listen to what I was saying?”

Leonardo jumped slightly, dismissing the thoughts in his mind. “Huh? Yeah, yeah I’m listening.”

Mikey frowned, not looking nearly convinced. “So are you happy for me?”

“Of course I am!” Leo gave him a wide grin, just for show. “Why wouldn’t I be happy for you Miguel?” And that much was true, however, an idea formed in his mind and gave him a smug grin – one that masked just how upset he was. He patted Mikey’s head. “But I can do _better_.” 

“Wha – “

Just because his little brother managed to do the trick first didn't mean Leo couldn't do the other complicated techniques. He could do a kickflip while in mid-air, he could fix April's computer without Donnie's help if April would just let him, he could be just as strong as Raph; he just needed to grow bigger and get tougher. _I can be just as good as them. I can, I can, I can_ –

Leo had climbed to the top of the ramp, ignoring the more rational part of his brain that told him this was a _bad_ idea. Mikey was looking up at him from where he stood, eyes wide with curiosity. Seeing his younger brother looking up at him like that made him all the more willing.

He puffed out his chest. “I’m gonna do the, uh – “ Leo racked his brain for a trick until he vaguely remembered Sydney Allen doing it. “The 720 Gazelle Flip! With a loop in mid-air. Yeah!” He pointed at Mikey. “Get this on video!” 

“W-wait Leo I don’t think – “

He ignored Mikey and jumped on his skateboard giving his brother a thumbs up and with an excited, "Hoooh boy!” began his descent. 

Several seconds later, Leo ended up with a broken leg and a pained wailed, followed by tears that were both from him and Mikey and a minute after, Splinter rushed in with Raph and Donnie behind him.

Leo’s skateboard was thrown away after that, having been split down the middle.

 

* * *

 

Having a broken leg had its pros and cons.

The pros? All the attention was on him. Mikey had decorated Leo’s cast with an assortment of colors and doodles, complete with a heartfelt message that told him to feel better. Raph offered to carry him whenever Leo wanted to get around even though Donnie insisted he should try out his latest invention: a wheelchair that hovered off the ground complete with a cup holder. It even had a fast setting! 

Said feature got stuck one day and Donnie had to deactivate it by force before Leo could get hurt again. The soft-shelled turtle had his heart in the right place, Leo gave him that much.

The cons, however? It was so _boring_. He couldn’t do anything aside from watch t.v., play video games or read comic books. He couldn’t play with his brothers and more often than not had to play referee or keep score whenever they played catch the bandana. And he couldn’t go outside and play basketball with April. At least she came to visit him even though it resulted in story time and not basketball time.

So yes, Leo did not master any skills on his list and he was stuck with a cast on his leg for a few months. _Hurray_.

Leo sat propped up on his bed with a few stray Jupiter Jim comic books strewn across him. His notebook lay on top of his nightstand. The last number wasn’t even crossed out.

In a flash of anger, Leo grabbed the notebook and tore the pages off, crumpling it into a large wad of paper and threw it at a basket.

He missed and the crumpled ball landed with a soundless thump on the floor.

“Of course!” Leo groaned and crossed his arms with a huff. Life was so unfair. He didn’t deserve sitting on his bed or a couch when he should be playing with his brothers or visiting April. He shouldn’t have to wait a month for his cast to come off – not when he still had a million other things to do.

Like, catch up to his brothers.

Leo felt it then – the lingering feelings he’d been trying to figure out. He’d been trying so hard to be good at something, anything! He just wanted to stand on even footing with his brothers – with his big, strong, and kind-hearted brother Raphael, with the intelligent and tech-savvy Donatello, and with Michelangelo, whose natural talent came so easily to him. They all had roles to fill in the house, roles that contributed to the family.

 _‘But what about me?’_  

“Blue?”

Leo’s head snapped up, thoughts interrupted as Splinter appeared at the doorway. He hadn’t realized his dad was standing there nor did he realize he had been crying. Leo quickly scrubbed his eyes even though he knew it’d been too late and that his dad had seen the whole thing.

“Um, what’s up dad?” Leo asked in a feeble attempt to pretend everything was okay.

Splinter walked into the room, a few board games in hand, and plopped himself on to Leo’s bed. He twisted his beard in his small hands and the silence was oddly uncomfortable. Then Splinter held up a board game. “Chess?”

Leo grimaced. A part of him was thankful his dad hadn’t asked him what was wrong but the other part of him wished his dad _had_ asked. Then again, Splinter usually had a weird way of comforting his sons – a marathon of Lou Jitsu movies and tons of ice cream was usually the solution.

“I dunno – chess is kinda boring.” Too many rules to follow in Leo’s opinion.

Splinter laughed. “Very true my son.” He made a grand show of shoving the game off the bed and then picked out the next one. “What about this?”

Leo grinned. “Yeah!”

With a smile, Splinter set the game up. ‘Sorry’ wasn’t a definitive favorite in the household because most of the times, it ended in arguments even though Leo was always close to winning. 

Splinter shuffled the cards as Leo chose the blue pawns and left his dad with the purple colored pawns (they weren’t even purple – Donnie had told Mikey to paint them that way).

"Heads or tails?" Leo asked as he got ready to flip a coin. "Heads." Splinter answered and Leo flicked the coin upward, catching it with his palm.

Head was faced upward and Splinter let out a whoop as he drew the first card. The card told him to move out of the base and Splinter gladly did so. Leo managed to get out of his base until the third draw.

With the game underway, Leo watched as his dad moved his first pawn around the corner. It was quiet between them and the silence had Leo’s thoughts retreating back to him – back to his stupid list and his brothers and how average he was compared to them.

“Ahem.”

Leo jumped. Oh right, the game. He gave Splinter an apologetic glance and drew a card with the instructions, ‘Move forward ten or backward two.’ He chose the former.

His pawn skipped over the goal and went right to the beginning.

“Wait –“ Leo groaned though he knew there was no turning back from that one. He hadn’t been paying attention like he was supposed to and now his own dad was taking the lead. Just perfect. 

"Ooh yes, very bad move on your part Blue."

Leo scowled and crossed his arms. “Whatever. It’s not like I’m good at this game anyways.”

Splinter hummed, moving his pawn near his base. “Oh? What makes you say that? Your turn by the way.”

With a shrug, Leo drew a card and moved his pawn around the corner. It'd be a while until his first pawn reached the goal. "I don't know."

Splinter moved his pawn into the safety zone, a few spaces away from the goal. He hummed and stroked his beard. “Hm. I think you are a liar, liar, pants on fire.” 

Geez, it was like his dad could see right through him. In fact, he was looking at him – his eyes were staring at Leo, his whiskers occasionally twitching. Leo backed away as much as his leg would let him.

“Blue – “ Splinter settled his hand on Leo’s cast and paused. Leo could tell that his dad wanted to tell him something, trying to look for the right words. After all, Splinter was never one for an intimate conversation and Leo knew that.

“No. Leonardo.” Splinter corrected himself. “You, uh. You know you can talk to me right? I know I can be, ah, what you call uncool but if something is troubling you then just remember – oh! What would Lou Ji – “

“Ugh, dad I can’t let you finish that sentence!”

“Right, right. I’m sorry, perhaps a different saying – “

Leo couldn’t believe this. His dad had brought up their favorite mantra even though he was sure Lou Jitsu never went through anything Leo did. The guy was born with talent! He probably was just as smart and strong as he was in his movies. 

But that was beside the point. Splinter was still struggling to express himself and despite himself, Leo smiled. His heart was in the right place, just like everyone else in his family.

“Dad, don’t be sorry.” Leo drew another card and moved a few spaces ahead. “I just…” His pawn landed on an arrow and he made it slide across the board. He was close to the safety zone, which meant he was close to his goal.

“I was just thinking about my brothers. And how they’re all good at something. Like Raph is so big! He’s super strong too and he’s such a crybaby but he’s really nice too. He offered to carry me all day today but I told him I wasn’t in the mood.”

“And Donnie’s like, the smartest guy I’ve ever known – okay maybe it’s cuz I don’t know any other smart people but even if I did- Don could totally own them! He even made me a flying wheelchair dad! A FLYING. WHEELCHAIR. Pretty soon he’s gonna make himself a shell made out of iron. Hey, he could become the next Iron-Man! He's got the smarts and ego to match."

“Don’t get me started on Mikey. He can cook and draw better than Banksy and skate! He can become a pro at anything – I bet he’ll be famous when he’s older. Maybe he could meet Lou Jitsu one day.”

Leo pulled up his free leg and settled his chin on top of his knee, a sad smile on his face. "I love my brothers' so much dad. And I know they love me too. But…what when we get older…and they get stronger, smarter, and better…what's going to happen to me? I want to be good at _something_ but I’ve tried _everything_!”

Hearing a rustle, Leo glanced up and found Splinter staring down at the board game, apparently at a loss of words. Leo sighed and leaned back against the bed’s headboard. “I bet Lou Jitsu never went through this stuff.”

At that, Splinter’s head snapped up, a strange look in his eyes that Leo couldn’t pinpoint. "Oh, he had lots of figuring out to do."

Leo raised an eye at him. There he was again, doing that thing where he looked like he was remembering if he left the stove on or not. "Uh, and how do _you_ know that?" 

His dad drew a card from the pile and made a face when he couldn’t get his pawn to move to the goal. Splinter settled for moving another pawn, landing a few spaces ahead of Leo’s pawn. He looked nervous for some reason but Leo chalked it up to old age. “I uh – I read an autobiography of him! Yes, yes, he sold many copies back in the day! I even owned one with his autograph!”

That piqued Leo’s interest. “Really?! How come you’ve never told us that dad? Where’s the copy, I wanna see his signature – “

“I gave it away!”

“What!? Dad!”

“Enough about the book – “ Splinter sighed as Leo crossed his arms with a pout. “What I am trying to say is that even the great and handsome Lou Jitsu went through some…of the things you did. But eventually, he found his calling!" He smiled ruefully then. "Perhaps he should have done some self-reflection."

Leo leaned forward, thinking about what his dad had told him. It seemed hard to believe – Lou Jitsu was _perfect_. He had good looks, he was funny and smart and strong. But if he went through a time trying to figure out whom he was and finally found himself then maybe…

Maybe Leo could find out too. 

Smiling to himself, Leo drew a card. ‘Move your pawn from starting point and draw again.’ He did so and drew another card. This time the card read, ‘Move backward four spaces or forward seven spaces.’

With a grin, Leo moved his pawn backward and soon enough, found his second pawn in the safe zone. Now both he and his dad had one pawn near the goal and Leo still had another one on the board, close to the safety zone. All he had to do was move the two remaining pawns from his starting point and then get them to the goal. He already formulated a plan – he knew exactly what cards he needed to win. It was just a matter of patience.

Leo felt a gentle touch on his head and found his dad patting him. “A wise move my son.”

He felt a surge of pride. “I bet Lou Jitsu was bad at Sorry huh?”

Splinter laughed at that. “Haha, perhaps!” He drew a card and moved a second pawn from his base. “You will not win so easily baby blue!”

“We’ll see about that dad!”

It doesn’t take long for Leo to win the game. After all, he executed his plan pretty well. He even managed to bump his dad’s pawns twice!

“You will find your calling, Leonardo.” Splinter told him as he packed up the board game. It was almost dinnertime. “But for now, there is no need to rush. You are only twelve after all. Even Lou Jitsu did not figure out his purpose until his early twenties and given that he ignored his family history…” 

Leo tilted his head. “What are you talking about.”

“N-nothing! Anyways, I will get Raphael to carry you to the living room. I think he’s been itching to give you a piggyback ride.” Splinter walked out of the room and yelled out, “Red! Come get your brother! I am going to make dinner!” He could hear his brothers scrambling and a minute later, Raph walked in with Donnie and Mikey trailing behind him.

“Leo! Mikey exclaimed with excitement as he practically flopped onto Leo’s bed, mindful of his leg. Leo patted his younger brother’s head, earning a grin from him.

“Feeling better?” Raph asked, concern lacing his features. Leo had spent most of the day sulking after a week of having been unable to do anything fun so it was only natural for the eldest to be concerned. Splinter must have told him he wasn’t feeling well. Well, as long as he didn’t tell them _why_.

“Better than ever!” Leo responded, giving his brother a thumbs up. Mikey rolled over, having doodled something on Leo’s cast and hopped off the bed. "I can't wait till you get that off your leg, Leon. We'll play all the games you want right after!"

“I can’t wait either – it’s soooo boooring!” Leo emphasized, dramatically placing his hand over his chest. “I’m gonna die of boredom! That's a thing that can happen right, Donnie?"

He looked over to his brother and found him inspecting the crumpled wad of paper.

Leo felt his heart drop.

“Picking up after Leon’s mess, Don?” Raph asked, oblivious to the sudden tension from Leo. Donnie glanced at Raph, then at Leo for a second longer, before turning his eyes back to the paper.

“Just thinking of making a Roomba. You know, to pick up after you guys.”

“Aw we’re not that messy Don.”

“Although a Roomba would be pretty cool! The last one we got was kind of messed up. What if it gets tired of cleaning after us? Would it turn against us like in that one movie…”

As Raph and Mikey prattled on about a possible robot invasion, Donnie flicked the paper into the basket and turned to Leo. “If you need help next time, just ask.” 

Leo wasn't sure if he was talking about the mess in his room but nevertheless, he nodded gratefully. “Noted.” 

“Mmm, it smells like ramen!” Mikey yelled out with delight as the smell of food wafted into the room. He grabbed Donnie by the arm and pulled him towards the door. "Let's go before pop decides to eat the whole thing!" 

Raph gently hoisted Leo onto his shoulders, careful not to roughen up his leg. “Ready buddy?”

Leonardo grabbed onto Raph’s shell and watched as his eldest brother checked his leg. He thought about what his dad said – about eventually finding out who he is and where he’d fit in. Lou Jitsu went through it and maybe dad too!

And the best part? 

Even if it took him a week, a month, or two years or more – Leo knew he wouldn’t be alone. His family would be there for him, supporting him in their own special ways. Leo loved his family and they loved him back and no silly list would change that. 

"Yeah," Leo replied back with a warm smile on his face. "I'm ready."

**Author's Note:**

> This fic took me like an entire month to finish because my motivation refused to come out of it's hiding hole.
> 
> Anyways, despite how unconfident I feel about my writing, I'm really proud of this one! It's the first one-shot fic I've written that has more than 1k words. And I really wanted to write something about Leo since he's one of my absolute favorite characters. I had a lot of fun writing this, especially with Splinter and Leo's relationship. I hope they explore it more in depth in the show!
> 
> Originally they were going to play chess but I don't know anything about it so I chose sorry. It's a fun game that requires strategy so I went with that.
> 
> Now to go and continue my multi-fic...I haven't forgotten about it, I promise!
> 
> Kudos and comments are highly appreciated! ;w;
> 
> Oh yeah and this fic is for every single rise!Leo fan. Can't wait to see his arc!


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